6 Summits That Rocked 2019 and Seem Promising in 2020

1. Startups Without Borders Summit

There are a lot of indicators that the Egyptian startup ecosystem is rapidly progressing and going places, but is there enough diversity and inclusivity in it?

Migrant and refugee entrepreneurs usually find difficulties in integrating themselves into the ecosystems of their host countries all around the Middle East – and that includes Egypt. And the fact that these estranged peoples have to partner with a person from their host country to register a business makes it even harder.

A Snapshot from the Startups Without Borders Summit

The Startups Without Borders Summit kicked off for the first time in Egypt during last November to solve this problem. Through eye-opening workshops, inspiring talks, soul-stirring speeches and networking sessions, the summit plans to provide a platform around the MENA region to enable and integrate migrant refugee entrepreneurs into their host systems. After the success of the summit in Egypt, they’re starting chapters around the world soon!

2. E-Sports Summit

The gaming industry has entered the mainstream and it no longer belongs to a narrow niche as one might expect is still the case. According to Business Insider Intelligence, the global growth forecast of the industry is expected to rise to more than $1.5 billion by 2023!

Global Esports Revenue Projections Through 2022 according to Business Insider Intelligence

In Egypt, The Worx and Gamer’s Lounge are at the forefront of the game with the E-Sports Summit. In 2019, they had a cash prize pool of EGP 350,000 for the amateur and professional gamers in competition! We can’t wait to find out what they have in store for next year…

One hundred PC’s, three days and hundreds of gamers, here’s how this year’s E-Sports Summit came to be. The Worx emcGamers LoungeEGYcon#925Egypt‎#الجيمر_ليه_مكانه#EsportsSummit2019

Posted by 925 on Tuesday, October 8, 2019

3. E-Commerce Summit

Around two years ago – in 2017 –  the Egyptian government partnered with UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) with the purpose of increasing the country’s share of e-commerce in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to 2.32% and significantly increasing the number of businesses selling stuff online by 2020. And with the Internet penetrating the lives of more and more Egyptians every year, the importance of the e-commerce sector becomes all the more important.

At the E-Commerce Summit

The E-Commerce Summit is a platform dedicated to bringing together all the parties involved in the e-commerce platform under one big umbrella. The event is designed to provide an educational platform where all the hot topics of e-commerce are discussed. It’s also a networking arena where top players in the industry engage with all its working professionals and relevant governmental officials. Stay tuned for their 2020 edition if you don’t want to miss out on all that! Read more about their most recent edition here

4. RiseUp Summit

Rise Up continues on its mission to connect startups in Egypt to their most relevant resources. It just keeps getting bigger and better. The caliber of the speakers at the event in 2019 was astounding and diverse – from celebrity figures like Raya Abirached, Samih Sawiris to senior officials from giant companies like Facebook and Spotify.

Samih Sawiris at RiseUp Summit 2019

In 2019, it also started expanding into the MENA region through welcoming the participation of promising startups from it in the 3-day event and its succeeding pitch competition ‘Pitch by the Pyramids’.

Next year, the whole RiseUp event will take place by the Great Pyramids of Giza! If you’re interested in working for a startup, opening a startup, growing your already existing startup and taking it to the next level, or even investing in startups, then this event is a must.

5. Entreprenelle’s She Can Event

The World Economic Forum recently published the ‘Global Gender Gap Report 2020’. The report includes a gender gap index that ranks 153 countries from smallest (at 1st place) to biggest (at the 153rd place) gender gap. According to the report, the index “benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, education, health and political criteria.” Egypt ranked as 135th, which is a rank higher when compared to 2018. But the gap is real.

Ola Roshdy at Entreprenelle’s She Can 2019

Entreprenell⁣e’s She Can Event is dedicated to doing what it can to close that gap. Through mentorship session, riveting talks, inspiring workshops and thought-provoking panels, the event is set out to go even bigger this March. You can book your ticket and learn more through here. This year’s summit promises three specialized stages (fashion, creative and food and beverage), a variety of workshops that suit both aspiring and more advanced entrepreneurs, pitching competitions, hackathons, startups’ exhibitions, mentorship and coaching sessions and a lot more!


6. Creative Industry Summit

This industry-oriented summit has featured stars, experts and professionals from all walks and level in the creative field. It’s held twice a year with one of those times being in Egypt and the other taking place in Lebanon.

 

The summit annually attempts to engulf all fields related to creativity from every corner and build a friendly environment where anyone and everyone interested or invested in a creative industry can learn, network and engage with thought-provoking ideas while sharing theirs.

Last year’s edition in Egypt hosted a number of international and local stars you can read about here. You can stay tuned to the summit’s Instagram page to make sure you don’t miss out.

Omar Amin

Omar is a layman whose self-proclaimed focus is to navigate our post-sell out world with a healthy dose of skepticism.